At the end of last week, I was part of an excellent online discussion on the differences between teaching and learning, and the detriment of using the word “teach”. This conversation was held on Twitter and blog posts and comments, and was sparked from my post called The Role of Parental Instruction. You can see [...]
Category > Unschooling theories
The Validity of Being Wrong
I really enjoy reading blogs of other unschoolers – both kids and parents – and I often get sparks of ideas from one thing, which leads me to write a post on a completely different topic. Such as it is with today’s post about the validity of being wrong.
A couple of weeks ago, I was [...]
The Role of Parental Instruction
It seems to me that there is a distinction that must be made for unschooling parents and for people criticizing them. When we talk about principles versus rules and allowing our kids to follow their passions, there may be a tendency to believe that means letting kids do whatever they want. In reality, there are [...]
How Can Teachers Unschool?
Alright, I need your help. Yesterday, I wrote about talking to teachers and getting our unschooling principles into the ideals and minds of institutionalized educators. At one point I mentioned that we can offer suggestions to teachers about how to use unschooling principles in their classroom (you may not want to call it “unschooling,” though. [...]
Trust the Fall
I have a new game with our 7 month old son. It’s a falling game. And I realized yesterday that it is not only a great metaphor for unschooling, it is an example of it.
Here’s what I do: First, I take a big, fluffly comforter and pile it up on the floor. Then, I stand [...]
Where is This “Real World” You Speak of?
I was struck today, while reading Idzie’s sister’s reply to some unschool doubters, about this idea of a real world. You hear about it everywhere when people talk about schooled children. “When he gets into the ‘real world’ he’ll have the skills to…” or, in the case of unschooling, “I just don’t see how they [...]
My Confessions
So, I have a confession to make. I have a Masters of Education. With an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. And I used to teach high school.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I was part of the machine. I was one of those teachers who believed in structure and homework. Okay, not really. I actually hardly gave [...]
Rules Schmules
Lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about rules vs. principles. Though this isn’t obviously “unschooling” in that it’s not education-related, it is something that nearly all unschoolers practice. I watched Sandra Dodd’s comments on this on the website for Unschooling: The Movie (see video below), and then read some more thoughts by The [...]
Grown Unschoolers
One of the main objections or questions I get from people when I describe unschooling concerns what happens to these kids as adults. “How will they learn to do something distasteful?” “Won’t they be unable to fit into a workplace where they are told to do something by an authority-figure?” And, I had to agree [...]
Unschooling and the Reading Program
After yesterday’s post, you may wonder if the theory of unschooling jives with these early reading programs. I mean, aren’t we using a school-like method to teach? Shouldn’t it be organic and natural? Well, my answer is that the way I do it is natural. I’m exposing him to words and their meaning. He’s enjoying [...]
